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Lifecycle Carbon Reduction Framework — Annexure
Consolidated Data Tables, Sensitivity Workings, Material Reference Data Annexure to the White Paper: Notional Decarbonization
Amit Garg
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Ready stock
No visible keyhole
Resizable after fabrication
GreenPro Ecolabel Type 1
No minimum order quantity
PLANEA - Standard Size Ceiling Trap Doors & Access Panels
SKYHATCH PLANEA (CTD26) · single shutter, standard size series
Precision ceiling access. Single shutter on a sliding hinge, concealed push lock with no visible keyhole, and a shadow groove of just 2–3mm.
In stock in 300 × 300, 450 × 450, 600 × 600 and 600 × 1200mm and made to order in any size up to 1200 × 600mm.
Ceiling access panels for servicing - limited options
In contemporary buildings, services above the false ceiling are not only found in plant rooms and equipment zones. Valves, smoke detectors, junction boxes, single indoor units and inspection points recur throughout a building – in every corridor, every room, every ward and every office floor. These are the access points a building actually uses most often – in offices, institutions, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, airports, malls, residences.
In lack of a good solution, these also tend to become a design challenge and often an eye-sore.
One solution is – modular Aluminium frame ceiling access panels, which are usually available in small and fixed standard size, and mostly in a common ubiquitous design. This ubiquitous design has some problems of its own, like the shutter falling down, usually no customized size availability and limitation of maximum size.
The other solution – a site-fabricated wooden trap door is an eyesore that sags and chips within a couple of years.
Read in more detail on IQUBX – Skyhatch, main page
PLANEA ceiling access panels, standard small size
PLANEA series, powered by IQUBX CTD26 platform, is built as an alternate to the ubiquitous design.
It is the standard size series, though customizable on demand and modifiable on site, in the SKYHATCH range of ceiling trap doors and ceiling access panels: single shutter which doesn’t fall, light, strong engineered section, concealed push lock, and an infill finished to match the ceiling so the panel effectively disappears. Four sizes are held in ready stock, and any size from 250 × 250mm to 1200 × 600mm is made to order.
Where the opening is set by equipment rather than convention, exceeds 1200 × 600mm, or needs several shutters sliding aside for one clear span, the large format custom size series ZENITH+ (CTD25) by Skyhatch takes over.
Both series share a design language, the same sliding hinge principle and the same 2–3mm groove, so they can be specified together on one ceiling without a visible difference.
→ Specifying ceiling access for a whole project? The ceiling trap doors and ceiling access panels overview explains the services that sit above a false ceiling, why access should be planned at design stage, how opening size differs from framing size, and how to choose between the two SKYHATCH series.
PLANEA ceiling access panels - CTD 26 platform
PLANEA is built on CTD26, IQUBX’s aluminium section platform for compact ceiling access doors. Its outer frame integrates with the false ceiling, while the inner frame carries the infill panel and its finish. For smaller doors, fixing to the ceiling subframe is generally sufficient; where the project design calls for it, additional support can be taken from the slab soffit.
The two frames remain engaged through a sliding hinge: pivots seated in the inner profile travel within a track in the outer profile. This allows the shutter to open while maintaining a narrow, approximately 2–3 mm perimeter groove when closed. The retained shutter is a practical advantage during access and maintenance. An infill panel of around 11 mm thickness can be finished to match the surrounding ceiling, subject to the selected material and profile fit.
CTD26 also integrates the fixing provisions for a concealed push lock within the profiles. An Allen lock can be accommodated where specified, without adding visible face hardware. Cleat-jointed corners make the frame easier to resize and reuse than a crimped frame.
The system is designed primarily as a lightweight, strong single-shutter access door, including formats up to 1200 × 600 mm, subject to infill weight, fixing and project conditions. Its section also allows reinforcement for larger sizes and detailing as a double-shutter door. CTD26 brings these options into one compact, adaptable platform while keeping the finished ceiling surface clean.
Advantages - PLANEA ceiling access trapdoor solution
The shutter stays engaged — sliding hinge
Conventional small panels hang from two corner hooks and must be set aside when opened. PLANEA’s proprietary SKYHATCH sliding hinge shifts the pivot as the shutter swings down, keeping it engaged with the frame. An Allen bolt prevents accidental disengagement, backed by an independent stainless steel safety wire. The shutter can be removed and refitted when required.
No visible keyhole — concealed push lock
Closure is by concealed push lock. Press to open, press to close. There is no keyhole, no escutcheon and nothing on the face of the shutter to interrupt the ceiling. Where a tamper-resistant fixing is required, an Allen lock can be specified instead on order.
Shutters stay flat
The CTD26 section is heavier than the category norm for small panels, and it carries the infill without flexing. PLANEA shutters do not warp, bend or sag over time — so the groove stays even and the push lock keeps engaging cleanly years after installation.
Sealed at the joint
A peripheral brush runs between the outer and inner frame. It closes the gap against dust, draught and light leakage from the plenum, which matters in guest rooms, wards and clean interiors where a dark line of dust around a panel is the first thing people notice.
Resizable after fabrication
PLANEA frames are jointed with cleats and brackets, not crimped. A fabricated unit can be opened up and reassembled at a smaller size using the same material, or enlarged by adding material — frame and shutter both. When a dimension is issued wrongly or the ceiling layout changes, the trap door is adjusted rather than scrapped. With a crimped panel, the wrong size is simply waste.
Changeable infill to match the ceiling
PLANEA accepts compatible infill materials and finishes that match the surrounding ceiling. If the ceiling is repainted or refitted later, the infill can be replaced without changing the access door frame.
Sizes of PLANEA trapdoors
Four standard sizes are held in ready stock. The outer frame size (B) for each is given, so the ceiling contractor can set out the sub-frame directly.
For PLANEA, B = A + 29 + 29.
Any size from 250 × 250mm to 1200 × 600mm is made to order on the same section and mechanism. For larger openings, or where more than one shutter is needed, specify ZENITH+ (CTD25).
Trap door shutter design
Gypsum board and POP false ceilings
PLANEA is designed for all false ceiling types. Gypsum board is the most widely used; POP remains extensively specified for its longevity and freedom of form; wooden, calcium silicate, metal and composite ceilings follow the same principle. What changes between ceiling types is how the frame meets the ceiling, and so which dimension is easiest to order against.
Two dimensions describe every SKYHATCH trap door. A is the visible opening — the shutter size, measured from the inside of the outer frame to the inside of the outer frame. B is the outer-to-outer size of the complete frame. For PLANEA, B = A + 29 + 29.
Gypsum board ceilings. The sub-frame is set out at B, and the finishing gypsum boards extend over the 29mm flange to the groove, forming A. Order A when the ceiling is being planned. If the sub-frame is already tied, order B — it is the dimension that exists on site, and it keeps things simple.
POP ceilings. The opening left in the POP ceiling, with the GI chicken wire mesh protruding into it, is equal to B — so for POP, B is the better dimension to order. The frame sits on the edge of that opening, the mesh is trimmed over the flange, and the visible opening is A = B − 29 − 29. POP trap doors are usually ordered later in the sequence, once the opening exists.
Send the ceiling type with your enquiry and say which dimension you are giving. IQUBX will confirm the other before fabrication.
Which materials can go in the shutter?
Any 10–12mm sheet material, finished to match the ceiling around it. The standard infill is 12mm MR (moisture resistant) gypsum board. Alternatives include prelaminated particle board, WPC or PVC board, ACP, laminate or veneer on a base board, calcium silicate board, honeycomb lightweight panels and other decorative materials. Louvred panels have also been used in PLANEA shutters.
The infill can be replaced at any point in the building’s life. A ceiling that is repainted, re-laminated or re-veneered in ten years does not need a new trap door — only new infill.
Why PLANEA stops at 1200 × 600
PLANEA uses a standard concealed push lock — the same type used across the category. Its advantage is what it leaves on the face of the ceiling: nothing. Its limit is load. 1200 × 600mm is the largest shutter IQUBX will put on a push lock, and it is also the largest size the market offers in this type of panel.
Conventional 1200 × 600mm panels usually fail before their lock does: the thin sections bend along the long side, the shutter sags out of plane, and the lock stops seating properly. PLANEA’s heavier CTD26 section keeps the shutter flat along its length, so the push lock engages squarely. A push lock is still a light mechanism, though, and IQUBX does not use one beyond 1200 × 600mm. Larger openings move to ZENITH+, with heavier sections and Allen cam locks built for the load.
Construction and Installation
The CTD26 system
PLANEA is built on CTD26, the IQUBX section system engineered for standard and small-format ceiling access.
Conventional small panels use thin sections crimped at the corners: adequate for holding a light shutter shut, and capable of nothing else. CTD26 is drawn to do more within a compact profile. The inner profile seats the sliding hinge pivots and the outer profile carries the track they move in. The push lock and the optional Allen lock sit within the profile, so nothing shows on the face. The section is stiff enough to keep a 1200 × 600mm shutter flat. And the frame is jointed with cleats rather than crimped, which is what makes it resizable and reusable.
CTD26 is IQUBX-innovated and IPR protected.
Fixing a PLANEA ceiling trap door on site
PLANEA is light enough to be fixed to the false ceiling sub-frame with screws — no hangers to the slab are needed. It installs with ordinary hand tools and no specialist trade.
The infill is fitted into the shutter at manufacture, so no infill work is needed on site. It can be removed, replaced or changed later. For installation, the shutter often does not need to be disengaged at all.
Gypsum board ceilings — recommended sequence
Plan before framing. Ideally, order the PLANEA access door before constructing the false ceiling and set the subframe opening to dimension B shown on its drawing. The gypsum board, or other ceiling finishing board, must extend 29 mm inward beyond the subframe on every side. This creates the finished access opening at dimension A and covers the frame flange. The steps below also explain how to correct an opening made before the door was ordered.
1. Check the supplied Planea trapdoor
Measure the PLANEA outer frame and the finished opening dimensions against the supplied drawing. Check opposite sides and both diagonals to confirm the unit is square. Identify dimensions A and B before transferring any measurements to the ceiling; do not assume that a nominal door size is the required cut size.
2. Inspect the existing ceiling
If an opening has already been made, measure its width, height and diagonals against dimension A. Inspect the subframe above it separately against dimension B, checking that it is square, properly fixed and present around the opening. Record any board or subframe that must be cut back or added.
3. Mark both required openings
For a new installation, mark the subframe opening to dimension B and the smaller finished-board opening to dimension A. For an existing installation, mark the necessary corrections to both. Check that the board will project 29 mm inward from the subframe on all four sides before cutting.
4. Prepare the subframe
Trim any subframe member protruding into the required opening, then add or reposition members as needed to achieve dimension B. Fix the subframe securely to the false ceiling structure so the PLANEA outer frame can be screwed to it around the perimeter. Recheck its dimensions and right angles.
5. Cut and support the board
Cut the gypsum board to the marked dimension A using suitable false ceiling tools, correcting an existing opening where necessary. Keep the edges straight and the corners square. The 29 mm board overlap must be continuous and supported; adding narrow, separate strips merely to conceal the flange can lead to cracks in the finished ceiling.
6. Position and dry-fit PLANEA
Place the door into the opening without final fixing. The outer frame should align with the subframe at dimension B, while the board opening at dimension A overlaps and conceals the frame flange. Check that the unit sits flat, the shutter can operate, and no subframe or board edge obstructs it.
7. Fix the outer frame
Secure the PLANEA outer frame with suitable gypsum screws driven through the overlapping gypsum board and the frame flange into the false ceiling subframe. Fix it around the perimeter, checking alignment as you proceed. Do not pull one side out of square or distort the frame by overtightening the screws.
8. Finish the ceiling junction
Check for gaps between the surrounding board and the installed frame, and have the false ceiling team fill and finish them with the specified putty or finishing material. Mask the PLANEA outer frame before puttying and painting. Keep both putty and paint out of the groove between the shutter and outer frame.
9. Refit and check the shutter
If the shutter was removed for finishing or access, refit it using its intended sliding-hinge engagement and reconnect the stainless steel safety wire. Fit the specified infill, approximately 11 mm where required, and finish it to match the ceiling. Finally, confirm that the push lock engages and the perimeter groove is even on all sides.
POP ceilings
Leave the GI chicken wire mesh uncut across the opening, protruding roughly 40–50mm into it, so the opening equals B. Carry on with the POP work. Once the surrounding ceiling is essentially complete, fix the outer frame to the sub-frame on the edge of the opening, trim the mesh to cover the flange, and compound and finish the surrounding POP with the frame masked. The same two cautions apply: never fill the frame-to-shutter groove, and keep compound and paint off the aluminium.
Retrofitting into an existing ceiling
PLANEA can replace an old wooden trap door or be fitted into an existing ceiling. Measure the opening and order by B, the outer frame size. Add framing support around the opening, fix the outer frame to it, and make good the ceiling around the flange. This is where the standard sizes earn their keep: the unit arrives ready to fit.
Modifying a fabricated PLANEA on site
Sizes change. Dimensions get issued wrongly. An existing opening turns out not to match the drawing. Because PLANEA frames are jointed rather than crimped, a fabricated unit can be reduced on site by opening up the frame and reassembling it at the new size with the same material, or enlarged with additional material. Frame and shutter can both be modified. The work can be done by the ceiling contractor with guidance from the IQUBX team, or carried out by IQUBX as a chargeable service.
The infill panel canbe changed easier, without opening the frames. The infill panel material is fixed with screws and can be dis-assembled and the new material fixed.
Specification for PLANEA standard size access ceiling trap door
Specification for BOQ and tenders
Modular Aluminium Ceiling trap door / access panel hatch for false ceilings, IQUBX PLANEA series (CTD26), thin groove, seamless trap doors for services — HVAC, electricals, fire valves, plumbing in gypsum, POP and any other false ceiling — in residential and commercial interiors.
- Standard size — 300 × 300, 450 × 450, 600 × 600, 600 × 1200mm; custom sizes up to 1200 × 600mm
- Single shutter. Infill Panel — MR Gypsum board or as specified
- Locking — Push lock; Allen lock optional
- Construction — Outer and inner frame made of recycled aluminium alloy 6063-T6, jointed, not crimped
- High safety features — secured shutter, innovative proprietary sliding hinge
- Sustainable — GreenPro Ecolabel type 1
Designed and made in India
Long-form specification clause
Supply of lightweight aluminium access panel ceiling trapdoor SKYHATCH by IQUBX — PLANEA series (CTD26 model) — single shutter of opening size specified. The trap door to be made of inner and outer frame of 6063T6 recycled aluminium alloy section approximately 28 × 29mm, jointed with cleats (not crimped), powder coated white. The trapdoor to have 12mm MR gypsum board infill material in the shutter, or as specified. Outer frame to be fixed to the ceiling sub-frame with no visible flange, and just a groove of 2–3mm visible all around. The trapdoor shutter to be hinged to the outer frame with a sliding hinge to enable smooth and tight fit while disallowing the shutter to disengage and fall, and secured to the frame with an Allen bolt. Additionally the shutter to be secured with a SS steel wire between shutter and outer frame to allow limited opening, and concealed push locks for locking with no visible keyhole. A peripheral brush seal to be provided between outer and inner frame. Allen lock and other specified RAL shade options to be supplied if specifically required. The trap door to be certified GreenPro, Ecolabel Type 1.
Project specifics
- Visible opening A, or outer frame size B (state which) —
- Ceiling type — gypsum board / POP / other —
- Infill / finishing material —
- Locking — push lock (standard) / Allen lock —
- Powder coat colour, if other than standard ceiling white —
- Quantity per size —
Any special instructions or limitations —
Technical specification sheet
Placing the order
When should PLANEA be ordered?
Before the ceiling is boarded, ideally while the sub-frame is being tied. The trap door is then fixed and squared in the same workflow, the board overlaps the flange cleanly, and the finish is better. Stock sizes make this easy: the location and size are usually known from the drawings, and the units are available immediately.
Where to buy PLANEA
Standard sizes are held in stock. There is no minimum order quantity — IQUBX supplies a single unit or ten thousand.
- Online — standard sizes on Amazon India, in single and multi-unit packs
- Through SKYHATCH and IQUBX distributors across India, the Middle East and Nepal
- Direct from IQUBX for project quantities, custom sizes and tender supply.
Amazon links — place against the size table rows
300 × 300mm — amazon.in/dp/B0H7WMR145
450 × 450mm — amazon.in/dp/B0H7W9ZBW8
600 × 600mm — amazon.in/dp/B0H6RM9KYX
600 × 1200mm — amazon.in/s?k=skyhatch+1200+x+600
Pack-of-1 and pack-of-2 variants exist for each size. Link one listing per size and let Amazon show the pack options.
Ordering process
Dimension | What it is |
A — visible opening | The shutter size: inside of the outer frame to inside of the outer frame, edged by the shadow groove. Usually the dimension to specify and order. |
B — outer frame size | Outer-to-outer size of the complete frame. The sub-frame is set out at B. Order B for POP ceilings, or where the sub-frame is already tied. |
The rule for PLANEA: B = A + 29 + 29. A 600 × 600mm visible opening has an outer frame size of 658 × 658mm.
What to send for a quotation
- Visible opening A or outer frame size B in millimetres — say which — and quantity per size
- Ceiling type — gypsum board, POP or other
- The finish the shutter must match
- Push lock or Allen lock, and powder coat colour if not white
More details and understanding of the dimensions “A” and “B” are given on the webpage above.
Rules for the site team
- Procure before boarding, so the trap door is fixed with the sub-frame.
- Order A for a new gypsum ceiling; order B for POP, or where the sub-frame is already tied.
- Set out the sub-frame at B, so the gypsum extends 29mm over the flange on all four sides.
- Keep a clear space of 75mm above the trap door frame — about 100mm above the finished ceiling line — for the shutter to operate.
- Never fill the groove between frame and shutter, and keep compound and paint off the aluminium.
- Procure before boarding, so the trap door is fixed with the sub-frame.
- Order A for a new gypsum ceiling; order B for POP, or where the sub-frame is already tied.
- Set out the sub-frame at B, so the gypsum extends 29mm over the flange on all four sides.
- Keep a clear space of 75mm above the trap door frame — about 100mm above the finished ceiling line — for the shutter to operate.
- Never fill the groove between frame and shutter, and keep compound and paint off the aluminium.
Lead time
Where PLANEA is specified
Planea series, Skyhatch by iqubx, Iqubx ceiling trap doors and ceiling access panels are specified in major tenders across India and exported.
Client We Worked With
News, ideas and expert perspectives on design, Sustainability and innovation.
Product Testimonials
Featured Project References
Specification-grade acoustic ceiling solutions delivered across diverse sectors.
Drishti IAS
- Karol Bagh, New Delhi
- Institute / Private
- CTD024 / 12 mm WPC Board
- Customized Multi-Shutter & Seamless Finish:
- The CTD024 system was customized for multi-shutter access, with a 2–2.5 mm uniform groove and smooth operation to maintain a clean, seamless ceiling appearance.
Designs That Inspire. Spaces That Perform.
A glimps of our innovative ceiling solutions in real-world spaces
Watch: Skyhatch Ceiling Trap Doors & Access Panels
SKYHATCH by IQUBX | Premium Architectural Ceiling Access Systems-
Products, Features & USPs
Discover SKYHATCH by IQUBX-PLANEA & ZENITH+ ceiling access systems with recycled aluminium, custom sizes and seamless integration for modern false ceilings.
How to open and close a big size ceiling trap door? IQUBX
A step-by-step installation walkthrough of WP03P, covering the post-and-rail frame build and the panel fixing that lets panels be removed and reinstalled at any time.
SKYHATCH ZENITH+ | Sliding Hinge Innovation for Large-Format Ceiling Access
SKYHATCH ZENITH+ by IQUBX — a precision-engineered large-format ceiling access system with sliding-hinge technology for safer, smoother and seamless architectural access.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a ceiling trap door?
A ceiling trap door is an openable panel set into a false ceiling that gives access to the services concealed above it — HVAC units, fire pipes and valves, sprinklers, smoke detectors, electrical conduits and plumbing — without cutting or dismantling the ceiling. It consists of an outer frame fixed to the ceiling structure and one or more shutters finished in the same material as the surrounding ceiling.
What is the difference between a ceiling trap door and a ceiling access panel?
There is no difference. They are two names for the same product. Ceiling trap door is the common term in India; ceiling access panel is more usual in the UK, North America and the Gulf. The same element is also called an access panel ceiling, ceiling access hatch, inspection hatch, gypsum access panel, access door or ceiling door.
What size ceiling trap door should I order?
Order the size the equipment needs — not the size a catalogue offers. SKYHATCH ceiling trap doors are made to any custom dimension in exact millimetres, so the opening should be decided by what has to be reached, serviced and eventually removed through it. Ask the services consultant, the design team or the equipment vendor what access the machine actually requires, and order that.
For routine access points, PLANEA covers 250 × 250mm to 1200 × 600mm, with 300 × 300, 450 × 450, 600 × 600 and 600 × 1200mm held in stock. For anything larger, ZENITH+ is made to the project dimension up to 6000 × 2400mm and larger on request, with multiple shutters that slide aside to leave the whole opening clear. There is no minimum order quantity and no standard size to design around.
Once the opening is decided, two dimensions matter and they are not the same number. A is the clear opening size — what you see in the finished ceiling, edged by the shadow groove. B is the framing size — the internal dimension of the ceiling framing, which is larger because the ceiling board overlaps the outer flange of the trap door.
Once the opening is decided, two dimensions matter. A is the visible opening — the shutter size, from the inside of the outer frame to the inside of the outer frame. B is the outer-to-outer size of the complete frame. B = A + 29 + 29 for PLANEA, and B = A + 26.8 + 26.8 for ZENITH+. A 600 × 600mm PLANEA opening therefore has an outer frame size of 658 × 658mm.
For a new gypsum board ceiling, order A. For a POP ceiling, order B: the opening left in the POP, with the wire mesh protruding into it, is equal to B. If the sub-frame is already tied, ordering B keeps things simple.
What is the difference between opening size and framing size?
A is the visible opening in the finished ceiling, edged by the 2–3mm shadow groove — the shutter size. B is the outer-to-outer size of the trap door frame, which is where the sub-frame is set out. In a gypsum ceiling the board runs over the flange from B to A. Specify A for new ceilings; give B for POP ceilings or where the framing already exists.
Which SKYHATCH series should I choose?
Choose PLANEA (CTD26) for standard openings up to 1200 × 600mm where the access point is routine and stock availability matters. Choose ZENITH+ (CTD25) when the opening is set by equipment rather than convention, when it exceeds 1200 × 600mm, when you need multiple shutters sliding aside for a fully clear opening, or when the panel must be anchored to the structural soffit independently of the ceiling grid.
What is the largest ceiling trap door available?
ZENITH+ (CTD25) is made to any custom size up to 6000 × 2400mm, and larger on request. The largest delivered to date is 18 feet by 8 feet. Above single-shutter width the panel becomes a multi-shutter assembly, with every shutter sliding to one or both sides to leave the full opening clear.
What ceiling finishes can a ceiling trap door accept?
Any 10–12mm material: MR gypsum board, prelaminated particle board, WPC or PVC board, ACP, laminate, veneer on base board, calcium silicate board, honeycomb lightweight panels, or other decorative material. The infill is finished on site to match the surrounding ceiling, which is what makes the panel visually disappear.
Are SKYHATCH ceiling trap doors fire rated?
No, and it is worth understanding why. SKYHATCH is an architectural ceiling access system whose shutter carries the same finish material as the ceiling around it. Aluminium is non-combustible — Euroclass A1 for reaction to fire — but SKYHATCH is not a fire-resistance-rated assembly and IQUBX makes no such claim. Where a project requires a rated assembly for compartmentation, the correct product is a fire-rated steel hatch in a fixed size, which is a different product class. Non-fire-rated is the norm across the premium seamless-finish ceiling access category internationally.
Are ceiling access panels certified for green buildings?
SKYHATCH is certified GreenPro Ecolabel Type 1 by the Products & Services Council of the CII — a third-party verified, multi-criteria, life-cycle assessment rather than a self-declared claim. It contributes to LEED, IGBC, GRIHA, WELL, BREEAM, Green Star, Estidama and GSAS submissions, and to corporate sustainability and net-zero reporting, earning credits under the Materials and Resources section of IGBC ratings.
How is a ceiling trap door fixed?
PLANEA fixes to the sub-frame of the false ceiling with screws. ZENITH+ is anchored to the true ceiling soffit — the RCC slab or roof structure — using GI strips, butterfly hangers or MS threaded rods, so the weight of a large trap door is carried by the structure rather than by the false ceiling framing. Loading ceiling framing with a large trap door leads to deterioration and, in the worst case, accidents.
Can a ceiling trap door be retrofitted into an existing ceiling?
Yes. SKYHATCH can be installed into an existing opening, including in place of an old wooden trap door. Measure the existing opening and order by B, the outer frame size. Because frames are jointed rather than crimped, a unit can also be resized after fabrication.
How visible is a ceiling trap door once installed?
Only a 2–3mm shadow groove is visible at the shutter and frame joint. There is no visible flange and, with PLANEA’s push lock, no visible keyhole. Once the infill is finished to match the ceiling, the panel blends seamlessly with the ceiling.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
No. IQUBX supplies from a single unit upwards, pan-India and for export.
Where can I buy SKYHATCH ceiling trap doors?
PLANEA standard sizes are stocked and available through IQUBX, through distributors and online. ZENITH+ is made to order — share the gypsum opening size, ceiling finish and quantity for a quotation. IQUBX distributors operate across India, the Middle East and Nepal. PLANEA standard sizes are also on Amazon India.
Why are sliding hinge ceiling access trapdoors of SKYHATCH by IQUBX safer?
Because the shutter never has to be detached from the frame.
Conventional ceiling access panels use temporary hook or flange engagement at two corners. To open one, the shutter has to be supported by hand, unhooked, carried down and set aside, then lifted back and re-engaged afterwards — usually by one maintenance worker, at height, on a ladder. It can slip on the way down and it can fall while being re-hung. At small sizes this is manageable. At large sizes it is a genuine safety risk.
The SKYHATCH sliding hinge works differently. The shutter stays engaged with the outer frame throughout, sliding aside rather than coming off, and is held additionally by a stainless steel safety wire. Nothing is carried down a ladder and nothing can be dropped. The shutter can still be removed deliberately for any reason if required – like full access above the ceiling, realignment of shutters or frames or even during installation of bigger size access panels.
Three further things follow from the same design. Large shutters can be locked properly — with an Allen cam lock built for the load — rather than relying on a push lock that cannot hold a heavy shutter closed. Heavier engineered sections with built-in stiffeners keep shutters flat, so they do not sag or warp and stop seating correctly over time. And on large ZENITH+ assemblies the frame is anchored to the RCC soffit or roof structure, so the weight goes to the slab and never loads the false ceiling — which is what prevents the ceiling deterioration and collapse risk that comes from hanging a large trap door off ceiling framing.
Why are bigger size or large format modular ceiling access panels not available in the market?
Because the design almost every manufacturer uses cannot be scaled up. The limit is the mechanism, not manufacturing capacity.
Conventional modular panels share the same basic construction worldwide: a thin aluminium frame crimped at the corners, a shutter engaged on a hook or extended flange at two corners, and a push lock holding it closed. At 600 × 600mm this works well. Enlarged, each element fails for a different reason.
A push lock is a light mechanism and cannot hold the load of a large shutter closed. Hook engagement is temporary by design, so a large shutter has to be supported by hand while it is unhooked, carried down and lifted back — awkward and unsafe at height. And a thin crimped section has no capacity to keep a large shutter flat, so it sags and warps over time until it no longer seats properly. Crimping also means the frame cannot be opened, resized or adapted once made.
So most modular panels are offered at 600 × 600mm, some reach 1200 × 600mm, and beyond that the market effectively stops. Faced with a large opening, the profession improvises — a wooden trap door fabricated on site that deteriorates within a year or two, or several small panels in a row that clutter the ceiling and still leave crossbars across the opening.
Solving it required changing the mechanism rather than enlarging the panel. SKYHATCH ZENITH+ uses a sliding hinge, so shutters stay engaged with the frame while sliding aside; heavier engineered sections with built-in stiffeners, so shutters stay flat; Allen cam locking built for the load; jointed rather than crimped frames; and anchoring to the RCC soffit, so the weight goes to the structure and not to the false ceiling. That combination makes custom sizes up to 6000 × 2400mm practical, and larger on request.
Why are large format ceiling access panels required?
Because the size of the opening is decided by the equipment above the ceiling, not by convention.
An air handling unit, a chilled water fan coil unit, a ductable indoor unit, a pump or a valve assembly has to be reached for routine service, opened up for repair, and eventually removed and replaced entirely. Replacement is the demanding case: a machine has to physically pass through the opening, along with the people and tools handling it. A 600 × 600mm panel serves an inspection. It does not serve an equipment change.
The same applies to service zones rather than single machines. Above a hospital corridor, an airport terminal or an office floor plate, the plenum carries ducting, fire pipes, sprinklers, cabling and plumbing in parallel runs. Reaching a length of that requires a long opening, not a series of portholes.
Large format access also protects the ceiling itself. Where the opening is undersized, maintenance teams cut the ceiling open, and the board and plaster are patched afterwards — repeatedly, over the building’s life, with visible deterioration and cost every time.
The requirement has always existed. What has not existed is a product that meets it, which is why so many projects settle for a compromise that is paid for over the next twenty years.
how are HVAC machines repaired with small ceiling access panels?
Mostly, they are not.
A 600 × 600mm panel allows a technician to put an arm and a head through it. That is adequate for inspecting a valve, checking a detector, or reaching a junction box. It is not adequate for working on a machine.
What happens in practice is one of three things. The technician works blind through an opening too small to see or reach properly, which makes the job slower and the work poorer. Or several small panels are opened at once and the work is done in pieces around the crossbars between them. Or — most commonly, when the machine has to come out — the ceiling is cut open, and the board and plaster are repaired and repainted afterwards.
That third outcome is the real cost of undersized access: delay, extended downtime, dust and disruption in occupied space, and a ceiling that gets a little worse with each intervention. In a hospital ward or a hotel corridor the disruption alone can be more expensive than the repair.
Sizing the opening to the equipment at design stage removes all of it. That is what the ZENITH+ series exists for.
what is the logic of 600 x 600 size limitation in the market?
There is no engineering logic behind 600 × 600 as such. It is the size at which a particular design stops working, and it has become the default because almost every manufacturer uses that design.
Conventional panels engage the shutter on a hook or flange at two corners, hold it with a push lock, and use a thin aluminium frame crimped at the corners. Each of those runs out at roughly the same point. A push lock cannot hold a heavy shutter closed. Hook engagement means a large shutter must be supported by hand while it is unhooked and lifted back, which becomes unsafe at height. And a thin crimped section cannot keep a large shutter flat, so it sags and warps.
600 × 600 is simply where all three remain comfortably within tolerance. Some manufacturers push to 1200 × 600 — beyond that, enlarging the same design produces warped shutters and a genuine safety risk.
It has also become self-reinforcing. Because 600 × 600 is what the market offers, it is what gets specified, what ceiling contractors set out for, and what consultants assume is available. The size limitation shapes the specification rather than the requirement shaping the product.
SKYHATCH ZENITH+ was built by changing the mechanism rather than stretching the panel — sliding hinge, engineered sections with built-in stiffeners, Allen cam locking, jointed frames, and anchoring to the structural soffit — which is why custom sizes to 6000 × 2400mm are practical.
Can a standard ceiling access panel be made larger than 600 × 600mm?
Only to a point, and the limit comes from the design rather than the manufacturer. Most conventional modular panels are available at 600 × 600mm and some reach 1200 × 600mm. Beyond that, the mechanism itself runs out: a push lock cannot hold the load of a large shutter, hook or flange engagement means a large shutter has to be supported by hand while it is unhooked and lifted back, and thin crimped sections cannot keep a large shutter flat — so it sags and warps over time. Larger openings need a different mechanism, not a bigger version of the same panel. SKYHATCH ZENITH+ uses a sliding hinge and heavier engineered sections, so shutters stay engaged with the frame while sliding aside, at sizes up to 6000 × 2400mm.
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